Kalen DeBoer no closer to naming Alabama football starting quarterback

One year ago, Alabama football named its starting quarterback after one fall camp scrimmage. Now, the Crimson Tide faces another quarterback battle, one that will last longer than the one a year ago Austin Mack and Keelon Russell took the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 13 for the first of two major checkpoints in the battle to replace Ty Simpson as Alabama's quarterback, and Kalen DeBoer made it clear: No quarterback has the upper hand. "I don't feel closer," DeBoer said when asked if he's made progress in naming a starting quarterback. Neither had a fast start, DeBoer said. Both got "better" as the game went on, but both had "their moments early where they could have executed better." "They could use some help from some guys once in a while," DeBoer said. "They're not going to be perfect all the time. Operationally, I just think, again, it's them running the show, but everyone doing their part." Both Mack and Russell, who each have fewer than 70 snaps of collegiate experience under their belts, "got in their rhythm" as reps continued. "The challenge to them now would just be starting faster every single time we have these these game-like scrimmages and practices; coming out and setting the tone themselves," DeBoer said. Alabama will hold its second fall camp scrimmage Thursday, Aug. 20 before the Crimson Tide hosts East Carolina in its season opener Saturday, Sept. 5. Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.  This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Kalen DeBoer no closer to naming Alabama football starting quarterback